THE BOOK
The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. The Nest was an impulse purchase for me, mostly based on the beautiful cover. It is a family story about a drunk driving accident that jeopardizes the anticipated inheritance of four adult children. The book is being adapted for a movie.
The Nest was one of the things I picked up on a virtual shopping trip I took to one of my favorite local shops last week. The Arrangement celebrated its 40th anniversary this month, although it wasn't much of a celebration since the store is not open right now because of coronavirus.
THE SHOPPING
One or two people are working at The Arrangement each day to take phone orders. It's a local shop, not set up with a full-on website for e-commerce. So I first got some ideas from pictures on their Facbook page and website. Then I called up and, after making sure the helper wasn't busy, we did a FaceTime call so she could walk around the shop and show me some specific things I had questions about. For example, I asked her to show me which 500-piece puzzles they had in stock, the size and scents of my favorite candles, and to show me the size of the little lemon plate I saw on the website. It worked great! My order was available for curbside pick up or local delivery. What a fun pick-me-up!
I'm inspired by the ingenuity of local businesses to stay in business when they can't be open to customers. Mail orders, sidewalk service, local delivery -- all these innovations are less than ideal, but if it gets a business over this rough patch, I'm willing to meet them half way.
MAILBOX MONDAY
Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! This weekly "show & tell" blog event lets participants share the books they got the week before.
Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Martha of Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf host this fun event.
